FSTC Yaba workshops equipment obsolete — Principal

THE principal, Federal Science and Technical College, (FSTC), Yaba, Lagos State, Dr Ogochukwu Ufoegbune, has lamented the poor state of some workshops in the technical section of the school, saying they are filled with non-functional and obsolete equipment.

She stated this recently at the institution’s annual speech and prize-giving ceremony/valedictory service, where a total of 730 students graduated.

According to her, government would need to further intensify efforts in upgrading the various workshops in the college with better and modern equipment to enable the school to realise teaching and learning objectives for setting up the technical section.

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She explained that, though government had started fixing some of the challenges, including recruitment of more technical teachers, the college wanted her to do more so that the workshops would meet up with the 21st century needs.

She said, “Equipping the workshops with necessary equipment and tools would help the college not only in running its primary activities more effectively, but also in the short-time courses on skills acquisition the college has proposed.”

According to her, “the short-time courses to be run between three and six months are meant for the young school leavers from and outside the college and every other interested persons with a view to sharpening their technical skills for global market.”

She noted, “We all know that technology is the way to go. Today’s economy worldwide is technology-driven and therefore, Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind.

“So, for us at FSTC, part of our mandate is to train and graduate students who are well-trained and capable of establishing the skills they have acquired.

“It is expected that our technical students on graduation must have acquired all the required skills to become self-employed and if possible, employers of labour”.

Speaking on the college’s staff strength, she said, though the number was not adequate especially in the technical section, she thanked the Federal Ministry of Education for sending recently about 25 teachers to the school.